IF âASSAULT WEAPONSâ ARE BADâŚWHY DOES DHS WANT TO BUY 7,000 OF THEM FOR âPERSONAL DEFENSEâ?

The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to acquire 7,000 5.56x45mm NATO âpersonal defense weaponsâ (PDW) â also known as âassault weaponsâ when owned by civilians. The solicitation, originally posted on June 7, 2012, comes to light as the Obama administration is calling for a ban on semi-automatic rifles and high capacity magazines.

Citing a General Service Administration (GSA) request for proposal (RFP), Steve McGough of RadioViceOnline.com reports that DHS is asking for the 7,000 âselect-fireâ firearms because they are âsuitable for personal defense use in close quarters.â The term select-fire means the weapon can be both semi-automatic and automatic. Civilians are prohibited from obtaining these kinds of weapons.